Sunday, April 18, 2010

You know, some things in the garden are the result of hours of hard backbreaking labor, and you can look at them and marvel at what a good thing you've accomplished.

And other things are just there for the taking, through no effort of your own, just showing up year after year, not asking you to do anything at all.

This apple tree is like that ~ it's an old-timer, been there I-don't-know-how-long. Before my time of tending to this garden anyway.

It's extra-beautiful this year. Maybe it's the weather, maybe the beauty comes in cycles and this is its year.
For the past 2 years I had a compost bin near the tree to which I religiously added all the kitchen waste, grass clippings, leaves, all the stuff you put in a compost bin. I moved it this spring, but in my usual fashion, I rarely used the compost and it's been sitting there melting into the soil. Too lazy to dig it out of the bin and spread it around! It always seemed like there wasn't enough to bother with. Could it have been nourishing the apple tree all this time? If so, I'm glad I've done something for this old tree, however inadvertently!

As I was walking to the shed the other day, the sight of it made me drop my keys and gloves and go back in the house to grab my camera. I'm glad I did because we've had some windy days and rain, and the blossoms are already disappearing.

Oh my this tree is gorgeous! Wish we could grow apples down here. I don't know if they don't like the soil or if it's too dry or what.... I know what you mean about the compost bin. I have one too and stopped stirring it and dealing with it. I got lazy. It still has stuff in it, maybe I'll go spread it around.

Oh this is SO beautiful! Our trees were pretty for only about a week, it seems like it got too hot too fast for them to sustain their blooms for long. At least I can admire yours from afar- thanks for sharing!